Cincinnati Reds players and personel pose for a group photo as they start the Reds Caravan at the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame on Jan. 24, 2013.

Written by

John Erardi
The Cincinnati Enquirer

It's fun looking at a map of Cincinnati Reds country - all the nooks and crannies of it, the hollows and ridges, the highways and byways - and imagining youngsters going to sleep at night with radios under their pillows.

Of course, there's a business side to it as well. The romance of baseball on the radio with its ability to generate revenue is what makes it all work.

The high for Reds radio affiliates was between 115 and 120 in the 1970s. It had atrophied to 45 by 2008, and was up to between 98 and 99 by the end of 2013. The goal for this season is between 105 and 110 affiliates. ...